FAQ

I want to volunteer with Yoga Gangsters. What do I have to do?

In order to serve as a Yoga Gangsters volunteer teacher, the first step is to complete our Yoga Outreach Certification, which is held many times per year in various locations. Our training is necessary even if you have been certified and volunteered for other yoga outreach programs, in order to learn our unique approach and methods.

Do I have to be a Certified Yoga Teacher to take this course and/or volunteer with your program?

We welcome both yoga teachers and yoga lovers, school teachers, socail service workers and anyone who enjoys children and wants to serve. Since our program does not emphasize advanced yoga technique, rather the concepts of breath “pranayama”, basic yoga poses “asana”, meditation and self-awareness, the content is suitable for a yoga practitioner to share.

What type of commitment is required if I want to volunteer with Yoga Gangsters?

Our program operates in 6-week cycles with a 1 hour class per week. Each organization we serve may repeat the 6-week cycle, once per quarter up to 4 times per year. Thus, the average commitment for a volunteer yoga teacher is 1 hour per week for 6 weeks. They then have the option of continuing that program or volunteering for another program with a different demographic. There are also many 1 day special event opportunities to volunteer such as health fairs, school fitness days, community service projects, etc.

Can I just take the Outreach Training without committing to volunteer?

Yes. Many participants take our training to learn more about working with at-risk populations or how trauma affects behavior. Our training is very popular among school teachers, social workers, nurses, counselors, therapists and other service professions.

We have learned service shows up in many ways that is not volunteering. The education recieved in the 15 hour weekend is service to yourself, family and friends.

Can I receive CEUs for completing this training?

Yes, if you are a professional yoga teacher, you may register these hours with Yoga Alliance. However we do not provide CEUs for licensed professionals such as nurses, PT’s, OT’s, or LMT’s.

What do I need to bring?

Please dress in comfortable clothing and be prepared for a yoga practice. Bring your yoga mat, water, pen, notebook and lunch or money to purchase food during the breaks.

What can I expect to learn during Yoga Gangsters Outreach Training?

The 15 hour course led by Yoga Gangsters Founder Terri Cooper and Executive Directore, Jodi Weiner, is intended to inspire, support and connect people who have a desire to teach yoga to youth at risk or in crisis.

On Friday, we will go though an introduction to Yoga Gangsters, our mission and our specific program operations platform. Then we will take part in a diversity ritual, that breaks down walls and offers a look into our own shadow and perceptions.

On Saturday, we will discuss in depth the triune brain model. This allows us to see from a specific perspective and prepares us to serve marginalized communities without stripping them of their dignity. We will look at the physiology of trauma, how it is stored in our body and how it dictates specific behavior patterns that society would deem undesirable. From this vantage point we can approach behavior modification through the physical practice of yoga providing people with access to tools for life. Students who take this course, often say that it has transformed the way they interact in their own personal relationships, and how they manage and regulate their own nervous systems

Sunday is a full day of practice teaching, role playing and discussing special circumstances, best practices and classroom management.

On certain occasions when the 15 hours are consolidated into 2 days of training (two 8 hour days), all of the content will be still be covered in its entirety.